I couldn’t be sure. All I had seen were broken flashes. Stone walls. Cold air. A room with no windows. The last clue Ese left behind was vague, tied to a place that fixed cars. That thin thread was all I had.
Small or not, it was enough to pull forward.
"So you think this might be the place," Lewis said, calm but sharp, "but you’re not certain."
I nodded. "I’m not. But sothing feels wrong here. Like there’s more beneath it. A hidden level. Sowhere people don’t go."
He studied in silence. The air between us tightened. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. "Why underground?"
The question made my pulse jump. His gaze felt too steady, like he was testing my scent, listening past my words.
For a heartbeat, I almost told him everything. That I rembered dying. That I’d wandered in the dark before waking up again. That my instincts weren’t just fear, but mory.
But I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
"I don’t know," I said instead. "If soone wanted to hide sothing ugly, they wouldn’t leave it in the open. They’d bury it. Sowhere cold. Sowhere no one would look twice."
Lewis watched a mont longer, then gave a slow nod. He didn’t push. That alone told how much control he had over himself.
"I’ve been tracking Camilla quietly," he said. "Longer than you think. She’s careful. Too careful. And smart in the way dangerous people are. There’s more under her skin than she lets anyone see."
He glanced at the repair shop again. The building looked ordinary. Too ordinary. The kind of place your eyes slid past without interest.
"She’s been watched for weeks," he continued. "Today doesn’t prove anything. It could be bait."
I frowned. "You think she wants to notice?"
"It’s possible. Or she’s eting soone who doesn’t want to be seen. Either way, if we rush in now, we lose the upper hand."
His fingers closed around mine. Warm. The touch carried quiet authority, the kind that didn’t need to be loud to be obeyed.
"Give ti," he said. "I’ll dig deeper. I promise."
My chest ached with the need to act. Every part of wanted to tear the place open and drag the truth into the light. My instincts scread to move, to strike before the trail went cold.
But Lewis was right.
Camilla had already been cornered twice. She wouldn’t slip now. If anything, she was watching us just as closely.
I could feel it. That sense of being hunted while hunting. Like eyes in the dark, waiting for to make a mistake.
Recklessness would only expose us. Camilla wasn’t the whole picture. She was a piece. And soone else was moving the board.
I forced myself to breathe. "Okay. I’ll wait."
Relief flickered across his face. "I’ve already arranged a full sweep of the building. If there’s anything hidden below, we’ll find it. Rooms. Passages. Nothing stays buried forever."
He looked at then, softer. "I know waiting hurts. But staying alive and staying smart matters more."
I nodded. "I’ve waited through worse. I can wait a little longer."
His thumb brushed my cheek, slow and familiar. "Good. And just because we’re waiting doesn’t an we’re powerless. Sotis pressure works best when it’s quiet."
I huffed a weak laugh. "Has anyone ever told you you’re terrifying when you plan things?"
A corner of his mouth lifted. "Only my pack."
He glanced down the road, then back at . "Ho?"
I shook my head. "Not yet. I want to watch a bit longer."
He didn’t argue. He just stayed beside , solid and calm, like a promise that whatever ca next, I wouldn’t face it alone.
As Lewis quietly closed the car door, I noticed the black vehicle we were in. It wasn’t the one he usually drove. That alone told he was being careful, moving like a leader on patrol, hiding his tracks so no one would notice us especially Camilla.
The car was warm inside, sealed tight against the cold night. The engine purred low, steady, almost like a heartbeat. I kept my eyes on the repair shop across the street. Most of the lights were off now. Only one corner still glowed faintly. The place looked calm, but my instincts kept scratching at , uneasy.
I didn’t know what I was waiting for. Maybe a sign. Maybe a mistake. Or maybe I was just haunted by what I rembered stone walls, cold air, silence pressing in from all sides. That image of my body lying still in the dark never really left . It pushed forward, sharpened my focus, kept alert.
"Hungry?" Lewis asked softly.
I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at the shop for a long ti. My stomach answered before my mouth did.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I guess I am."
He reached into a black bag beside him and pulled out a food box, handing it to . "I wasn’t sure what you’d want. I grabbed a few things you usually like."
I opened it and froze for a second. Inside were the pastries I always reached for when I was stressed. Light, sweet, familiar.
"You rembered," I said, surprised.
Lewis glanced at , his gaze steady and warm. "Of course I did."
Sothing tight in my chest loosened. I picked one up, then hesitated. "Do you want so?"
He leaned closer, eyes gleaming with quiet amusent. "Feed ."
I stared at him, unsure if he was serious. Before I could react, he gently caught my wrist and leaned in, biting a piece from the pastry in my hand.
"Mmm," he said slowly. "Yeah. You’ve got good taste."
My face heated instantly. He was too close. Too relaxed. Too comfortable. Lately, he’d been acting like this more and more like he already claid the space beside , like it was natural.
Part of wanted to pull away. Another part stayed still.
He noticed my stare and raised a brow. "Why are you looking at like that? We’re married . Sharing food isn’t a big deal."
I looked away, embarrassed, but my heart was beating faster.
"If this kind of closeness makes you uneasy," he added, voice lower now, "I can help you get used to it."
I frowned. "Help get used to "
Before I could finish, his arm wrapped firmly around my waist, strong and sure. His other hand slid behind my head, holding in place as he lifted onto his lap like it was nothing.
Then his lips were on mine.
The kiss was sudden, deep, full of intent. My instincts flared all at once heat, shock, awareness. I gasped and pushed lightly against his chest.
"Lewis mmph !"
But then I saw movent outside the window.
A tall figure stepped out of the shadows near the shop, standing just a few feet away from the car.
My breath caught.
Whatever this night was about to bring... it wasn’t over yet.
Reviews
All reviews (0)